pogre
Legend
Episode 07
Trailing Trouble
Xerk swallowed hard. He did not want to believe the accusation the woman had just made, but he still considered it a possibility. He gathered his wits and approached the woman, “If this half-orc killed your husband he will be brought to justice.”
The woman looked up and saw the rest of the party approaching behind Xerk. She yelled, “How do I know you will not kill me next?”
“You have nothing to fear,” Xerk reassured her. “We will keep you safe. I also pledge to bring your husband’s killer to justice. What did this half-orc look like that killed your husband?”
“I don’t know. He was hulking and brutal. I barely saw him.”
“What did the half-orc do after killing your husband?” Gerhardt asked.
“I don’t know, I ran.”
“I mean did he cut open his chest and eat his heart?” Gerhardt continued.
“Oh by the gods!” the woman sobbed. “How can you associate with such an animal?”
"Gerhardt! be silent - you are not helping," Xerk said.
“Perhaps she is confused. Perhaps this was the work of the troll Skullringer is hunting,” Inga suggested.
The woman overheard Inga and quickly stated, “It was no troll. It was a half-orc.”
“What weapon did this half-orc wield?” Gjord asked.
“Questions, questions, why don’t you leave me alone?” the woman pleaded.
“Please,” Xerk urged, “It’s important for us to know if the killer is the same half-orc we are trailing.”
“It was a huge club of gnarled wood,” she answered.
“Sounds like him,” Gerhardt admitted.
Inga bit her lip.
“Is your husbands body still at the scene of the murder?” Gjord asked.
“No we buried him near the stream, down there,” she pointed away from the camp.
“When did this happen?” Xerk asked.
“A day and half ago.”
“Where are your children?” Hilde asked.
“Hidden. Where they shall remain,” she said loudly.
“What brought you out to this wilderness?” Hilde asked.
“My husband had a large group of valuable furs he had traded for with the northern tribes. We were going to take the furs to Norgate to trade them. We stopped at another northern tribe of humans. My husband got in a gambling game that night and he lost all of our furs. We headed south with nothing. My husband planned to seek work in the city and start again.”
“So he led you out into this wilderness?” Gerhardt said in a questioning voice. “Perhaps ole’ Skully did you a favor.”
“Gerhardt be still,” Hilde commanded. “Go away with Gjord and investigate the site of the attack.”
“I have found Skully’s trail,” Gjord stated returning to the camp.
“Do you wish us to escort you to Norgate?” Inga asked of the woman.
“No, we will make our own way,” she answered.
“Very well madam,” Xerk stated. “Rest assured we will bring this half-orc to justice. Let’s follow that trail.”
“I agree Xerk,” Hilde stated, “however, I have just a couple more delicate questions for this gentlewoman if she would be so patient.”
The woman nodded in assent.
“Aside from that fatal blow from the club, did you notice anything else about your husband’s body?” Hilde asked.
“It was a mess.”
“How so?” Hilde probed.
“He had been eviscerated.”
“All the organs were gone then?” Hilde questioned.
“I don’t know,” the woman admitted. “What was left was the hull of my husband.” She cupped her hands over face and began to sob.
“I am so sorry,” Hilde reassured.
The party set off to follow Gjord on the trail of their friend and apparent murderer Skullringer.
…..
“It was him, wasn’t it?” Quarion asked once the party had left the camp.
“It would seem so,” Hilde admitted.
“It was a gambling debt disagreement,” Inga offered. “The guy probably lost to Skully and would not pay him or even insulted him.”
“That would explain, but not forgive his actions,” Hilde replied.
The group pressed on and finally set up camp when Gjord could no longer make out the trail in the dark.
The second watch of Quarion and Gjord spotted some movement on the perimeter of the camp. They woke the rest of the party, but nothing came of it. The following morning Gjord checked the areas where they had seen movement. He found signs of small humanoids.
“Children perhaps?” Inga asked.
“It’s possible,” the ranger stated. “Extremely quick though, I put money on a mature creature.”
“Filthy halflings,” Gerhardt spat. “I detest halflings. Why couldn’t ole’ Skully put the club to one of those wee rascals.”
“Enough Gerhardt,” Hilde chastised the fighter. “There are good halflings and bad halflings – just like humans.”
“Ya,” Gerhardt retorted, “and the good ones can be found in the graveyard.”
“You are this close to paying for all future prayers of healing,” Hilde warned.
“Easy sister. Love all the halfling squeaks you want. Just keep them away from me.”
“Skully is moving quickly,” Gjord called out. “We cannot afford to waste anymore daylight.”
The group set off again after the half-orc.
……
“We are going too slowly,” Inga complained.
“It can’t be helped,” Gjord stated. “Skully has started covering his tracks and he’s pretty good at it.”
The group pressed on, but was forced to camp in the failing daylight without having made much progress.
Gerhardt took the third watch and Hilde quickly volunteered to accompany him. This is a needing soul she thought to herself.
Late into their watch two arrows came whistling into camp. One of them struck the sister in the thigh. She yelped catching Gerhardt’s attention. He tried to focus on the camp’s perimeter, but he could not see anything.
“Alert! Awake!” Hilde shouted and raised her shield. As the adventurers awoke two more arrows traveled into the camp. One bounced off Hilde’s shield the other lodged in the earth next to her.
Gerhardt went quickly to the cleric’s side. “Sister are you alright?”
“The arrow had poison,” she said quietly. “It has weakened me, but I will survive.”
The elf coming out of his slumber grabbed for his weapon and looked into the darkness. There he saw two small figures with bows bounding away to the west. “There!” he cried. Quickly Quarian gave chase.
Gerhardt followed the elf blindly as did Gjord. It soon became apparent, however, that their quarry was accustom to these woods and hills. The humanoids outdistanced the pursuers. “Tomorrow we track them instead,” Gerhardt stated, his voice laced with anger.
…..
The following morning the group took a vote and decided to track the assailants from the previous evening. Gjord quickly found their trail and within a few hundred feet discovered that they had split off from each other. A path was chosen and the trail led back to the stream near the woman’s camp. The camp was abandoned.
“What now?” Inga asked.
“The trail continues west from here,” Gjord announced.
“Press on,” Gerhardt ordered.
A quarter mile later Gjord stated, “We have three tracks now – one big folk and two wee ones.” Three miles later came another announcement, “A fourth track – another big folk.” Two miles later Gjord stopped with a confused look on his face.
“What’s wrong Gjord?” Inga inquired.
“I’m not sure. One of the tracks is gone. I don’t know when it happened. They seemed to have stopped here for a time.”
The group continued following the tracks and ahead saw a trapper’s camp ahead. They spotted a trapper and his mule making a fire.
“Did you see a mule’s tracks?” Gerhardt asked.
“No,” Gjord answered.
“Let’s watch him a while,” Xerk suggested.
The trapper took the carcasses of two squirrels or rabbits and put them on a spit. He roasted the game and then gave a whistle. Two young boys emerged from the woods and the trapper threw them some game. They tore into the game with ravenous hunger.
“I will go around the camp to flank them,” Quarion announced. “I will wait for your move.” The elf crept off into the underbrush. Quarion quickly worked his way around the outskirts of the camp and took up a position opposite the party.
“Let’s approach,” Xerk suggested. The group began to walk towards the camp.
When they came within forty feet or so of the camp the trapper noticed them and spoke up, “Come no closer.”
The two young boys peered up at the oncoming party and took flight into the woods. They ran directly towards Quarion’s position.
“Grab one!” Gerhardt shouted at Quarion. The fighter began running across the camp with his bow out and notched.
The trapper protested, “They’re only children! Stop!”
“If they’re children they’re demons,” Gerhardt shouted back. “Or halflings.” He released an arrow at the fleeing boys. “Either way they’re better dead.”
Quarion tried to tackle one of the boys but missed. The two bounded into the woods and were lost to the party again.
“What are you trying to do to those innocent children?” the trapper protested.
“We have reason to believe they shot poisoned arrows at us last night,” Gerhardt stated.
The trapper laughed, “Those orphans? Highly unlikely and I doubt they’re going to last the night in the woods thanks to you.”
Xerk stepped forward and said, “We would like for you to come with us back to their camp – for your own protection. If they see no harm has come to you, perhaps we can bring them back in for protection as well.”
The trapper assented to this plan and the group made their way back to the camp where they had found the boys and their mother.
“I have a bad feeling about that grave down by the stream,” Gjord said to Gerhardt.
“What do you mean?” Gerhardt answered.
“I’m starting to doubt there is a husband buried there,” Gjord admitted.
“You think…” Gerhardt started.
“Yes,” Gjord stated. “We will dig it up in the morning.”
To be continued…
Trailing Trouble
Xerk swallowed hard. He did not want to believe the accusation the woman had just made, but he still considered it a possibility. He gathered his wits and approached the woman, “If this half-orc killed your husband he will be brought to justice.”
The woman looked up and saw the rest of the party approaching behind Xerk. She yelled, “How do I know you will not kill me next?”
“You have nothing to fear,” Xerk reassured her. “We will keep you safe. I also pledge to bring your husband’s killer to justice. What did this half-orc look like that killed your husband?”
“I don’t know. He was hulking and brutal. I barely saw him.”
“What did the half-orc do after killing your husband?” Gerhardt asked.
“I don’t know, I ran.”
“I mean did he cut open his chest and eat his heart?” Gerhardt continued.
“Oh by the gods!” the woman sobbed. “How can you associate with such an animal?”
"Gerhardt! be silent - you are not helping," Xerk said.
“Perhaps she is confused. Perhaps this was the work of the troll Skullringer is hunting,” Inga suggested.
The woman overheard Inga and quickly stated, “It was no troll. It was a half-orc.”
“What weapon did this half-orc wield?” Gjord asked.
“Questions, questions, why don’t you leave me alone?” the woman pleaded.
“Please,” Xerk urged, “It’s important for us to know if the killer is the same half-orc we are trailing.”
“It was a huge club of gnarled wood,” she answered.
“Sounds like him,” Gerhardt admitted.
Inga bit her lip.
“Is your husbands body still at the scene of the murder?” Gjord asked.
“No we buried him near the stream, down there,” she pointed away from the camp.
“When did this happen?” Xerk asked.
“A day and half ago.”
“Where are your children?” Hilde asked.
“Hidden. Where they shall remain,” she said loudly.
“What brought you out to this wilderness?” Hilde asked.
“My husband had a large group of valuable furs he had traded for with the northern tribes. We were going to take the furs to Norgate to trade them. We stopped at another northern tribe of humans. My husband got in a gambling game that night and he lost all of our furs. We headed south with nothing. My husband planned to seek work in the city and start again.”
“So he led you out into this wilderness?” Gerhardt said in a questioning voice. “Perhaps ole’ Skully did you a favor.”
“Gerhardt be still,” Hilde commanded. “Go away with Gjord and investigate the site of the attack.”
“I have found Skully’s trail,” Gjord stated returning to the camp.
“Do you wish us to escort you to Norgate?” Inga asked of the woman.
“No, we will make our own way,” she answered.
“Very well madam,” Xerk stated. “Rest assured we will bring this half-orc to justice. Let’s follow that trail.”
“I agree Xerk,” Hilde stated, “however, I have just a couple more delicate questions for this gentlewoman if she would be so patient.”
The woman nodded in assent.
“Aside from that fatal blow from the club, did you notice anything else about your husband’s body?” Hilde asked.
“It was a mess.”
“How so?” Hilde probed.
“He had been eviscerated.”
“All the organs were gone then?” Hilde questioned.
“I don’t know,” the woman admitted. “What was left was the hull of my husband.” She cupped her hands over face and began to sob.
“I am so sorry,” Hilde reassured.
The party set off to follow Gjord on the trail of their friend and apparent murderer Skullringer.
…..
“It was him, wasn’t it?” Quarion asked once the party had left the camp.
“It would seem so,” Hilde admitted.
“It was a gambling debt disagreement,” Inga offered. “The guy probably lost to Skully and would not pay him or even insulted him.”
“That would explain, but not forgive his actions,” Hilde replied.
The group pressed on and finally set up camp when Gjord could no longer make out the trail in the dark.
The second watch of Quarion and Gjord spotted some movement on the perimeter of the camp. They woke the rest of the party, but nothing came of it. The following morning Gjord checked the areas where they had seen movement. He found signs of small humanoids.
“Children perhaps?” Inga asked.
“It’s possible,” the ranger stated. “Extremely quick though, I put money on a mature creature.”
“Filthy halflings,” Gerhardt spat. “I detest halflings. Why couldn’t ole’ Skully put the club to one of those wee rascals.”
“Enough Gerhardt,” Hilde chastised the fighter. “There are good halflings and bad halflings – just like humans.”
“Ya,” Gerhardt retorted, “and the good ones can be found in the graveyard.”
“You are this close to paying for all future prayers of healing,” Hilde warned.
“Easy sister. Love all the halfling squeaks you want. Just keep them away from me.”
“Skully is moving quickly,” Gjord called out. “We cannot afford to waste anymore daylight.”
The group set off again after the half-orc.
……
“We are going too slowly,” Inga complained.
“It can’t be helped,” Gjord stated. “Skully has started covering his tracks and he’s pretty good at it.”
The group pressed on, but was forced to camp in the failing daylight without having made much progress.
Gerhardt took the third watch and Hilde quickly volunteered to accompany him. This is a needing soul she thought to herself.
Late into their watch two arrows came whistling into camp. One of them struck the sister in the thigh. She yelped catching Gerhardt’s attention. He tried to focus on the camp’s perimeter, but he could not see anything.
“Alert! Awake!” Hilde shouted and raised her shield. As the adventurers awoke two more arrows traveled into the camp. One bounced off Hilde’s shield the other lodged in the earth next to her.
Gerhardt went quickly to the cleric’s side. “Sister are you alright?”
“The arrow had poison,” she said quietly. “It has weakened me, but I will survive.”
The elf coming out of his slumber grabbed for his weapon and looked into the darkness. There he saw two small figures with bows bounding away to the west. “There!” he cried. Quickly Quarian gave chase.
Gerhardt followed the elf blindly as did Gjord. It soon became apparent, however, that their quarry was accustom to these woods and hills. The humanoids outdistanced the pursuers. “Tomorrow we track them instead,” Gerhardt stated, his voice laced with anger.
…..
The following morning the group took a vote and decided to track the assailants from the previous evening. Gjord quickly found their trail and within a few hundred feet discovered that they had split off from each other. A path was chosen and the trail led back to the stream near the woman’s camp. The camp was abandoned.
“What now?” Inga asked.
“The trail continues west from here,” Gjord announced.
“Press on,” Gerhardt ordered.
A quarter mile later Gjord stated, “We have three tracks now – one big folk and two wee ones.” Three miles later came another announcement, “A fourth track – another big folk.” Two miles later Gjord stopped with a confused look on his face.
“What’s wrong Gjord?” Inga inquired.
“I’m not sure. One of the tracks is gone. I don’t know when it happened. They seemed to have stopped here for a time.”
The group continued following the tracks and ahead saw a trapper’s camp ahead. They spotted a trapper and his mule making a fire.
“Did you see a mule’s tracks?” Gerhardt asked.
“No,” Gjord answered.
“Let’s watch him a while,” Xerk suggested.
The trapper took the carcasses of two squirrels or rabbits and put them on a spit. He roasted the game and then gave a whistle. Two young boys emerged from the woods and the trapper threw them some game. They tore into the game with ravenous hunger.
“I will go around the camp to flank them,” Quarion announced. “I will wait for your move.” The elf crept off into the underbrush. Quarion quickly worked his way around the outskirts of the camp and took up a position opposite the party.
“Let’s approach,” Xerk suggested. The group began to walk towards the camp.
When they came within forty feet or so of the camp the trapper noticed them and spoke up, “Come no closer.”
The two young boys peered up at the oncoming party and took flight into the woods. They ran directly towards Quarion’s position.
“Grab one!” Gerhardt shouted at Quarion. The fighter began running across the camp with his bow out and notched.
The trapper protested, “They’re only children! Stop!”
“If they’re children they’re demons,” Gerhardt shouted back. “Or halflings.” He released an arrow at the fleeing boys. “Either way they’re better dead.”
Quarion tried to tackle one of the boys but missed. The two bounded into the woods and were lost to the party again.
“What are you trying to do to those innocent children?” the trapper protested.
“We have reason to believe they shot poisoned arrows at us last night,” Gerhardt stated.
The trapper laughed, “Those orphans? Highly unlikely and I doubt they’re going to last the night in the woods thanks to you.”
Xerk stepped forward and said, “We would like for you to come with us back to their camp – for your own protection. If they see no harm has come to you, perhaps we can bring them back in for protection as well.”
The trapper assented to this plan and the group made their way back to the camp where they had found the boys and their mother.
“I have a bad feeling about that grave down by the stream,” Gjord said to Gerhardt.
“What do you mean?” Gerhardt answered.
“I’m starting to doubt there is a husband buried there,” Gjord admitted.
“You think…” Gerhardt started.
“Yes,” Gjord stated. “We will dig it up in the morning.”
To be continued…
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